流行美语 第135课 - gang up on somebody / basket case

Larry和李华到博物馆去看中国艺术品的展出，不过Larry好像心情不太好。今天李华会学到两个常用语：gang¹ up on someone和basket case.

(Indoor crowd in a museum)

LH: Larry, 怎么啦？你好像很不开心？

LL: Oh, it's just that my mother, father, and sister are all upset with me for not calling them enough. I feel as though my whole family is ganging² up on me.

LH: 既然你爸爸妈妈还有你妹妹都说你打电话回家太少，那恐怕情况确实是如此。不过，他们可能不了解你是工作和学习太忙了，所以才没法经常给他们打电话啊！不过，Larry，你说你家人gang up on you. 那是什么意思？

LL: If two or more people join together against another person, then they are "ganging up" on that person.

LH: 噢，gang up on someone就是合伙对付某个人的意思。所以你觉得你们全家联合起来埋怨你。

LL: Exactly, maybe they think that if they gang up on me, then I'll be sure to call them at least every other day.

LH：那你以后会不会隔一天就给他们打电话呢？其实，这也可以做到嘛。象我们现在休息的时候，你就可以打。说几句话就可以了嘛！

LL：Has anyone ever ganged³ up on you, Li Hua?

LH: 嗯，我不记得有什么人联合对付过我。哎，不过我记得在我们家附近有几条狗经常联合起来欺负我邻居的猫。那只可怜的猫最后只好跳到屋顶上去了。

LL: That's a good example, Li Hua. In my house, it was the opposite. We had three cats and one dog. The cats used⁴ to gang up and chase⁵ the dog around the house.

LH: 啊！原来在你们家是刚好相反。三只猫追一条狗。嘿！真有意思！你们家的狗一定很瘦小。我还没听说过有狗会怕几只猫的呢！

LL: Actually, he was a pretty big dog; he just wasn't very brave. Whenever the three cats would gang up on him, he would try to hide under the bed, but he was too big to hide there.

LH: 原来它还是只大狗，就是胆小。一只大狗因为怕三只猫而想躲到床底下！Larry，我没听说过，你肯定是在瞎说。

LL: No, it's true!

******

LH: 嘿！Larry，你和你家人谈过了吗？他们还在气你不常打电话吗？

LL: They aren't mad at me anymore, but my mom is a basket case because my sister will be graduating soon.

LH: 你妈妈怎么啦？basket case？Basket是篮子的意思，你妹妹快要毕业。这和basket有什么关系？

LL: Oh, a basket case is someone who is really upset or nervous. My mom is upset that my sister is graduating and will be leaving home for college.

LH: 噢，原来basket case就是指一个人很紧张，很不高兴。你妹妹高中毕业后，很快就要到外地念大学；你妈妈紧张不安是可以理解的。

LL: That's true. However, I think my sister will be just fine. There's no need for Mom to be such a basket case.

LH: 那倒是，你妈妈没有必要那么紧张。我刚来美国的时候，也是个basket case。我那时好紧张，因为我的英语还不是很好，我担心听不懂别人讲的话而犯错误。

LL: That's pretty normal. How about now? Are you still a basket case? Or have you adjusted⁶ to life in the U.S.?

LH: 嗯，现在我只有在考试的时候才会紧张。每学期总是有一个礼拜，我会紧张得睡不着，吃不下。

LL: I didn't realize that exams turned you into such a basket case. Why do you worry so much when you always get good grades?

LH: 我也不知道为什么我那么在乎考试成绩。但我也没办法控制，只要考试一来，我就马上成了个basket case。我想我大概是对自己信心不足吧！

LL: Well, next time you feel yourself turning into a basket case, let me know and I'll make you learn to be relaxed.

今天李华学到两个常用语。一个是gang up on someone, 就是合伙对付某个人的意思。另一个常用语是basket case, 是指一个人很紧张，很担心。

1 gang   

n.一伙，一帮；结伴的朋友

参考例句：

• The gang live abroad,beyond reach of the British police.这帮匪徒住在国外，英国警方鞭长莫及。
• Some gang came in and shot the place up.有股匪帮进来对这个地方开枪扫射。

2 ganging   

n.机械连接；成群

参考例句：

• She feels that everyone's ganging up against her. 她感到所有的人都结成伙来对付她。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rick was unhappy because the other boys were ganging up on him. 里克很不高兴，因为其他的男孩子都合伙反对他。 来自辞典例句

3 ganged   

成组的，联动

参考例句：

• The boy was frail and never ganged with his fellows at school. 这个男孩身体虚弱，从不和同学们一起玩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A number of unruly youths ganged up and terrorized the district. 一些不法青年结成一伙，使这个地区陷于恐怖。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 used   

adj.用旧了的，旧的；习惯于…；过去惯/经常

参考例句：

• I used to work until nearly 6:00 o'clock each day.我过去常常工作到6:00左右。
• He used to walk anywhere from two to five miles an hour.他过去经常一小时走二至五英里。

5 chase   

vt.追逐，追赶，追求；n.追赶

参考例句：

• The police grabbed the robbers after a long chase.警察经过长距离追赶后逮住了抢劫犯。
• Would you chase me if I did?如果我逃开了，你会来追吗？

6 adjusted   

adj.调整过的v.（改变…以）适应，调整，校正( adjust的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The straps can be adjusted to suit the wearer. 这些背带可进行调整以适合使用者。
• The high school adjusted its teaching approach and cancelled its departmental system. 他们高中调整了教学方法，取消了“文理分科”。 来自《简明英汉词典》